Vapor electric apparatus.



P. C. HEWITT.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS. APPLICATION IILED APR. 3, 1912.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. 0 .1

I/WE/VTOI? WITNESSES P. G. HEWITT.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED APE.3, 1912.

Patented Sept. 15, 71914.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

INVENTOR By 6% 4 A T1%NEYS WITNESSES 1,110,560. Original application filed January 8, 1911, Serial 1'0. a a 191i?- Scrial 1%:888A'I12.

Iran STATES;

ATENT orrron ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro coornn nnwrr'r' anaemic commas, or" Hosanna; HEW

Jersey, A coaromrrou or new muses.-

var'olt stream irritants:-

racemes-semi is; 1 14-; umseaand mirapbltoitiol men s un at To all whom it"may concern":

Be it known that I;- COOPER Hnwrrr, a-citizen'of theUnitea States,- and resident of Ringwood Manor, county of Pas'saic', State of New Jersey, haveinvent'e'd certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor Electric Apparatus, of whic'h the fol lowing is a specification.- Y

The present application is a division of my application SerialN'umber'GOOA iZJ} filed I 't1ght' invert'ee metal bowl restingupon an msulating section,-

January 3rd, 1911.

The invention relates to improvements in vapor electric apparatus having regard more 5 means of a mercuiy seal, 3: The container Qis' closed by abase cap,- 4, throughwhich pass auxiliary anodes, cne'o'f which is shown at 5. The' said anoda-fi, is supported upon Ian insulating" tube, 6, which may form a; apart or the porcelain section, 2." The cathode of theapparatus is shown' at 7 as j being constituted of mercury held by the-inparticularly to means for controlling the gaseous conductor in such' apparatus; to permitting the passage of heavy currents through the apparatus;'t'o means for dissipating the internal heat generated in opera tion; and to means for maintaining the chamber tight and in operative condition;

As a means for" carrying out the invention,

Figs: 2" and p and a vertical section of an' insulating part of the container of a'rectifler adapted to pass heavy currents.-

visional p iica'tion is concennedf is illustrated in t a accompanying drawings in whacl1- v Figure 1 shows a fOHYi or rectifier pr'o'-' vided with 'spcciat cooling arrangements and firepremnt respectively a plan In the" drawing 1- is dome shaped gas 2, preferably of porce lain, the-parts 1' andsbehigmade tight by attention has been directed to the character fsulating section, 2, ;and=the basecap, 4. The or the walls of the containing vessel; the cap which may thusconstitute the" lead to proper assembling of the" parts; the special Eth! cathode, a cable or strapbeing readily construction of the electrodes; means for iboltedthereto-externally; maintaining the negative electrode in a con- 5 To prcventthe cathodejspoti from climbing dition of low resistance and for dissipating Eup upon the central surface of the container the heat generated at said electrode; and, in fwall, l providea' s'lcevetor ringfpi-eee, 8,-of general, suitable circuits for the system. insulating material', dippingbelowthe sur- Moreover the conveying of the leading-in gfflco of the mercury electrode, 7, and thus conductor through the walls of the containpreventing a cathode spot from reaching ing vessel and the connecting of said conefwalls of the containefductors to the electrodes electrically; maina} Operation y e shiftedby making ataining the positive electrode within proper ficonncction betweenone of the anodes 5, 5, temperature limits; preventing short circuitl and the cathode 7 as-by agitatingthe mer-- ing; properly controlling the cycle of evapjcl'iry' until it touches on of the auxiliary oration; securing and maintaining control ,fanodes. This mode of starting is well' of the condensation and return of the fluid ikflbwnu @i' the'starting'may' take placeby of the electrode; maintaining the vacuum, :a'pplying high potential to one or both of and other matters are the subject of attenthe auxiliary anodes 5, 5, by any suitable tion in the apparatus herein described. means, a; number of which are well known.

The application refers more specifically 2 This high potential breaks down the initial to a rectifier for one wave or one impulse starting reluctance of the cathode Where of the heavy current circuit, similar rectiupon it is free to receive current from any fiers being used for other supply impulses. of the anodes of the rectifier. Accordingly, the device here shown as a rec- The auxiliary or supplemental anode, 5, tifier may be regarded as an electric valve is close to the inside of the ring piece, 8, controlling one Wave of a supply system.

and has a separate seal and cap, shown at 9. This is not intended to exclude the duplica- The porcelaln section is provided with a tion 0r multiplication of the anodes in a reentrant portion, 10, for preventing the given vessel, whereby more than one wave formatlon of a continuous circuit to the may be made subject to control.

cathode through draining mercury. The 105 The invention with which the present dibolt or screw, 11, passing through an inone according to'which the main anode is j 'gYork and State of New York this 27th day -.of March, A. D. 1912..

case or part of the container forms the anode for large u to pre s th base was, porcelain oints.

The insulating bottom plate, 13, the bolts,

14, 14, the metal ring, 15,the bolts, 16, 16, and the metallic sectional ring, 17, are in tended to provide means for. tightening and making secure the entire apparatus; all of which isv contained within a tank, 18, as 'shown. The sections of the ring, '17, may

be held together by a strap, 20.

The tank is divided into an upper portion 2l'and a lower portion 22 by means of a circular flange, 23, resting upon a shoulder, 24, extending around the inside of the tank.

In this form of apparatus the anode itself is shown at 25 as bemg suspended from the 1, -dome of the part 1, or otherwise supported 20 thereby. The anode, 25, is of some suitable metal and is provided with appropriate means for connecting it to the external circuit. Into the upper and lower space in the tank a cooling medium such as oil, water, glycerin, or a forced draft of air may be introduced. In some instances natural air currents may be relied upon. The cooling fluid in the upper portion may enter at the pipe, 35, and may ass out orbe removed throu h the exit pipe, 26, after absorbing heat from the dome shaped element, 1, and the anode, 25.- If desired the structure may be given suificient heat radiating capacity and the fluid merely circulated within the same, transferrin heat from the rectifier to the tank. In li e manner, the cooling fluid may enter the lower space at the entering tube, 29,'and leave by the exit tube, 28; or the renewal of the fluid may be omitted and the tank distribute the heat externally. The consideration of the design of this apparatus brings out two major principles as to the main positive electrodes, namely,

maintained separated from and inside the case, and the other accordmg to which the or an anode. In the latter case,

units it is practical, and seems often advisl able, to use a separate device for each worki ing wave of current supply; in fact, for

aga nst "the should prove advisable on account oi section, 3, to aid i -securing tight extra large units in a majorityof cases this i the lawsof surfaceand contents, or squares and cubes.

This form of rectifier is provided, as .shown, wlth two cooling means or systems,

separated so 'as to maintain the required V ratio of temperatures, and relative temperatures at the positive and the negative electrodes. i;

In Figs. 2 and 3, the details of an appropriate insulating section, 2, are shown. In the plan ap earing in Fig. 2, the general contourof t e section, 2, are shown while inthe vertical section, Fig. 3, drawn along the line AB of Fi 2, the details of the section 2 and its re ations to neighboring parts appear in both figures a circular groove, 30, for receiving the lower end of the insulating cylinder, 8, is represented in the drawing.

I claim as my invention:

1. A. vapor rectifier consisting of a case of conducting material, a positive electrode, a liquid negative electrode, means for insulating the said electrodes from the case and an insulating sleeve or cylinder projecting below and above the surface. of the liquid and means for initiating a flow of current from the ositive electrode to that portion of the liquid electrode lying inside of said sleeve or cylinder.

2. A vapor rectifier consisting of a case of conducting material, a positive electrode, a liquid negative electrode, means for insulating the said electrodes from the case, an insulating sleeve-or cylinder projecting below 1 and above the surface of the liquid, and :means for initiating a flow of current from 'ithe ositive electrode to that portionof the liquid electrode lying inside of said cylin- 'der or sleeve, and an auxiliary electrode also located within said sleeve or cylinder.

Signed at New York in the county of New PETER COOPER HEWITT.

Witnesses:

IRVING M. OBRIEGHT, Tnos. H. BROWN. 

